I'm used to SPG revaluing properties (often in January or February if I recall correctly). But from my limited experience (only twice for me in 20 years) they honored rewards reservations made at a lower level of points before the revaluation if a property jumped up a category. I also recall some kind of notice being given so that customers could thumbnail through the changes.

TO ALL OF YOU MARRIOTT INSIDERS: What has been your experience with Marriott and category revaluation?

By the end of 2016, I booked 5 nights for 2 rooms at Cotton House Barcelona for May. The hotel was eight and it cost me 320,000 points. In February, the hotel category changed to 9th, both rooms were 360,000 points, but my reservation did not change and took only 320,000 points.

In January I booked three rooms at CourtYard Bremen for July (4 nights). The hotel was 2 category and it cost me 120,000 points. In February, however, the category changed to the 1 st, they canceled the old reservations and made new ones. So in the end, the hotel cost me 90,000 points.

Marriott plays a pretty straight bat on category changes undertaking a recategorisation annually and providing a list of moving hotels and a few weeks notice.

Last year I planned to reserve 2 rooms for 5 nights at the Cat 4 Marriott Shanghai Central and another 2 rooms for 5 nights at the Cat 3 Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing. The 2017 recategorisation caused the Marriott to be reduced to a category 3 and the Renaissance to be increased to a category 4. As a result of the notice I booked the Renaissance just before it went up and the Marriott just after it went down.

To a certain extent I’m fairly lucky as my work means I have to sort out my summer vacation 6 months in advance, just at the right time for the category changes and over the years the notice given has assisted me in obtaining the best value from my points.

Like both Marriott and SPG, Hyatt has over recent years carried out a pre-announced category shift so this is something new, although it as it does only effect a few hotels. Hopefully it doesn’t portend overnight recategorisations.